Demon's Path
by Lady Witchlight
Summary: Jubilation Lee recieves a message from an old friend. Children are being kidnapped and turning up dead in her old haunt. Knowing that no one else would care for them, Jubilee packs it up and returns home. She vows to stop them before anyone else dies.
1. Chapter 1

** You'll notice that Dysis from Left Behind appears in this story as well. She has actually appeared in many different stories written by me since I started writing fanfiction over 10 years ago under different pennames. I am not completely sure that I love this story, but we will see as time goes on. I wanted to get other opinions. I promise the next chapter of Left Behind will be out soon. I am towards the end and only need to have it read by my beta! Constructive critisism is welcome as always. X-men belongs to Marvel etc. etc. **

**This story is another what if? and is placed after Gen X, sans Jubilee, graduate from Gen X. Jubilee feel's she has outstayed her welcome and heads home to Socal to take care of business.**

Chapter One: Slipping Away

As darkness swelled up from the last of the setting sun Jubilation Lee slipped quickly from her balcony and shimmied quickly down a tree. She was not thrilled at her only option of running away to solve problems long thought over in sunny California . Still, when she even mention of making a trip alone to Emma she was quickly rebuffed. If she had been seventeen, Jubilee would have made an effort to understand, but her eighteenth birthday had come and gone three months prior. She was still in school and finishing what was considered her senior year.

The year had been fairly lonely to her. Since the school had opened to the public all her older teammates had graduated the year before, and the new "team" of young mutants were just not her thing. She had become like a mentor to one of them, Dysis, but the rest were guppies. She barely even participated in the paltry group missions Sean and Emma sent them on. They were nothing like the thrill and excitement of a few years back.

When Jubilee had received word from an old gang friend that someone was making play at her neighborhood and children were getting abducted she booked the first flight out. She was not so precocious as to put it in her name either. Jubilee once again thanked whoever had deemed it necessary to finally unfreeze her assets and inheritance. It had left Jubilee quite wealthy and influential in parts that she had long since forgotten since her parent's died.

"Yo, Lee! Where ya headed?" a voice suddenly penetrated the darkness as she stepped into the forest. Jubilee sighed and stepped back into the light.

"Dysis, go back to bed," she insisted quietly.

"You're running off?" Dysis's voice hadn't needed to sound so hurt. Jubilee smiled softly at the girl. How many times did she look at Wolverine with that same look and use that same tone. Some things just couldn't be changed. She would take Dysis with her if it was possible, but Emma would send out the troops if Jubilee stole one of her kids.

"I'll send ya a postcard, Dysee. I'd take you with me if I could, but I have out welcomed my stay here at X-Kid Academy…you still got some points to put in. Who would watch after the baby morons?" Jubilee joked affectionately. Dysis blushed and ducked her head. Something she only did with Jubilee's praise.

"You promise you'll keep in touch?" Dysis asked hesitantly after a moment. Jubilee nodded and quickly embraced the girl. She stepped back and started back into the woods.

"There's a package for you in my room, Dysee. You can get it, but make sure no one hears you in there. I can't be discovered till I am way out of town," Jubilee tossed over her shoulder as she ascended deeper into the woods. She heard Dysis whisper a goodbye and she quietly brushed away the tears that threatened to spill.

Dysis watched until she couldn't hear the sound of Jubilee's soft, almost nonexistent, footsteps disappear. She turned and quickly headed across the yard. No one would catch her…that she was sure about. She climbed up the tree and slipped into Jubilee's room. She looked around and noticed a small package on her desk. She quickly opened it and gasped in awe as she saw what was inside.

Jubilee's yellow leather trench lay inside. She picked up the clothing almost reverently and slipped it on. She reached into the pocket and pulled out a small note.

_To the next Generation, I couldn't have asked for a better friend and future partner. Emma will not understand my leaving so be prepared for serious questioning. There is another letter in the left pocket for her and Sean. It will perhaps explain better. Thanks for the backup and I'll see you again. _

Dysis quickly dried her own tears and slipped back to her room. Ann, her roommate, looked up sleepily as she entered.

"Where ya been, Dys?" she murmured.

"No where, go back to sleep. We have got serious drills in the morning," Dysis answered and crawled back in bed herself.


	2. Chapter 2

Still not sure if I love this story or not, but we will see where it goes.

Chapter Two

Jubilee ducked under the surveillance of the local cops as they combed over the alley. She thanked her ducks that her latent telepathy had kicked in a couple years ago. It allowed her to walk among them unknown. She grimaced at the white sheet that was covered in blood. It looked like the asshole had moved up from kidnapper to killer. She cursed herself again for the lack of concern she had shown her old 'hood in the past few years.

She ducked into the investigating officer's mind and almost caterwauled at what she discovered. So this wasn't the first killing. It was just the first reported. She turned her head to hide her tears from even her subconscious as she saw the mutilated body of the infant. Why was someone killing children? They weren't mutants and they certainly weren't rich. She just didn't understand.

_What is to understand, Miss Lee? Surely your absence has not made you forget about what else is popular here in St. Bernardo? _

The voice swooped through her mind out of nowhere. Her eyes shot up to meet the amused eyes of the detective she had just scanned. She narrowed her eyes and started to back away. If needed she was sure she could out run him.

A laugh resonated all through out her scull, _Now, there is no need for that, Miss Lee. The name is Detective Jack Benson and perhaps we should talk. _

Jubilee wasted no more time in throwing up strong mind shields. Still, she nodded to the man and slipped back under the yellow tape and started down the road. She made a turn and waited patiently for the detective. He was only moment's behind her.

"What can I do for you, Detective?" she asked suspiciously.

"Jack, Miss Lee. Call me Jack. I am sorry for the intrusion, but I believe your shock lowered your shields and I caught wind of what you were thinking. I, however, am not comfortable talking here. Too many ears. Perhaps somewhere more private this evening?" he spoke quietly, almost as if the walls could hear.

Of course is St. Bernardo, Jubilee could not be sure that they could not.

"Fine, the Vaunt Inn, room 612 at eight. I'll be busy till then," she answered back and quickly cloaked herself again and disappeared down the road.

Jack Benson watched her go. He groaned to himself for having rely on a citizen. Granted, obviously a very talented and pretty one, but still not the law.

--------------------------

Jubilee paced her small room in annoyance. Detective Benson should be arriving any minute and she was still no closer to discovering anything besides him graduating top of his class and being very photogenic. She stared perturbed at the laptop shining on her sooty desk. She groaned in aggravation and sat down.

A knock to the door brought her back around. She crossed quickly and swung it open. She found a plain clothed Jack in jeans and leather jacket. He looked a bit more unruly and dangerous. Not quite the boyscout, Scott Summers she had been imagining.

"Miss Lee," he acknowloged her stare. Jubilee blushed and moved aside for him to enter.

"Jubilee, Detective, just Jubilee," she found herself saying.

"And just Jack...Jubilee," he replied.

"Jack. Now what is this all about?" she closed the door behind him. He shushed her and she was suprised to find him shielding the room stronger than she could ever have managed. She grew dizzy from the power he was displaying. She sat down hard on the bed. The man was at least a beta if not alpha level mutant. How had he gone unnoticed on Cerebro?

"By being careful, Jubilee. I have no wish to join any superhero team. St. Bernardo has enough hardened criminals for me to catch as it is...to many people leave as soon as they can..." he answered.

Jubilee felt a flush of guilt and turned her head.

"St. Bernardo, home of gangsters and rich criminals," she spoke bitterly.

Jack laughed harshly, "But the sins of the father don't always follow, do they?"

Jubilee found herself suddenly smiling at the hidden praise.

"I guess your right," she responded, "Now, once again, what is going on?"

"I take it you know what else St. Bernardo is known for?" he asked as he sat beside her.

Jubilee sighed hard, this was what she was afraid of.

"Besides criminals and rich bastards?" Jubilee's voice got smaller as she put a hand in her head and contemplated the thing that scared her more that Sabretooth and Apocolypse combined.

Her voice came out breathy and shaky, "Magic...dark magic..."


	3. Chapter 3

**Perhaps my favorite chapter so far. I'm really liking Jack. This story is intriguing me more, but I am kinda stuck. Suggestions welcome. Ya know for Wolvie/Jubes shipper I seem to suddenly be writing a lot of Jubilee/other people stories. My muse must be mad at me or wanting me to test my boundaries. Look for a Wolvy/Jubes short soon. **

****

Chapter Three

Dysis sat serenely in front of the two teachers in front of her. She pulled her knew yellow slicker tighter around her as she watched them glare.

"You will tell us where she is!" Emma Frost's voice reverted through the halls.

"I will not," she sniffed back.

Sean Cassidy shook his head exasperated, "Lass, dinnae think that she might get hurt out there?"

Dysis snorted, "Jubilee? Puh-lease."

"We'll see how assured you are when Jean and Wolverine arrive," Emma threatened.

Dysis rolled her eyes again and popped her gum even louder. She watched the small vein in Emma's through pop out tantalizingly. She grinned to herself. She never though she would enjoy herself this immensely. She really should hand over the note, but it was really to much fun. Any way's as soon as the two X-Men arrive she would have to or she might find herself throttled.

"Where is she?!" she heard his voice roar louder than anyone else. She plugged her ears as they became sensitive to his assaulting shriek.

Wolverine busted in the room with the leggy redhead behind them. Jean put a reassuring hand on the bulky man's arm as he glared down at the little shape shifter. Dysis meekly looked up and pulled out the letter.

"She left this behind, explaining everything," she answered quietly.

The room became silent as Banshee and the White Queen looked at the young student.

"YOU HAD THAT THE ENTIRE TIME, YOU LITTLE...LITTLE...JUBILEE WANNABEE!" Emma shrieked.

Dysis rolled her eyes.

"Puhlease...I am so much more annoying," she responded. She glanced back at Wolverine when he snorted with laughter.

"What does the letter say, Logan?" Sean asked after a moment.

Logan slid it out of the envelope.

_Dear Peeps,_

_Look. Sorry that I had to like take off and all, BUT I figured you would blow a gasket if I just told you. So here is the sitch. I will be back to finish out my exams and all as soon as possible, but I have got some crap to deal with back in the So Cal. Do not follow me and do not tell Wolvy..._

"Oops," Dysis muttered and lowered her eyes.

_Please listen when I say I can deal and that I love you all and appreciate everything you've done, but I gotta do this. So without further yayayayaya...peace out, _

_Jubes _

_"_So I guess I'm headed out to So cal," Wolverine growled. Everyone nodded in agreement. Dysis groaned inside her head. She had promised Jubes that she would stay here...but now she was going to have to go traipsing after Wolverine after Jubilee. Why did life have to be so annoying?

-------------------------

"So why do you need my help?" Jubilee asked after the long, uncomfortable silence between Jack and herself.

"There's a mole in the department. I have no clue who. Could be my best bud to my fuckin captain. I can't find out telepathically either which means it's someone with some serious mojo. I need an anomaly or an unknown component. Basically I need you. Your a mutant, not a witch obviously. You don't have the cleanest aura, but it definatly ain't an evil on. Nobody will suspect you... We can find out who our murderer is," Jack explained.

Jubilee nodded along and found herself happy to have the help. She trusted him for some reason. She couldn't quite put her finger on it.

"Alright," she agreed, "What do we know so far?"

Jack pulled the case file from his jacket and tossed it on her bed.

"10 murders. I can't figure out the pattern, besides a different rune marked into each one of their skins. It's like a skin deep cut into a intricate pattern. All under the again of 13. Different sexes, but killed in sequential order. Girl, Boy, Girl, boy and so on," he explained.

Jubilee began to pour over the pictures, ignoring the way the gore turned her stomach. She shut her eyes briefly as she saw her friend's child. The one who had called her out here. How had the cops kept this secret?

"Very carefully. All our nosy reporters seemed to disappear or die over the last few years," Jack spoke.

"Someone has been planning this for a while," Jubilee answered. She started to read each individual profile. The pieces began to differentiate inside her brain. She filed different pieces different places and looked for the unique aspects of each individual instead of similarities. She must have been quiet for over four hours. She was getting frustrated when a pizza appeared in front of her.

She glanced up at Jack and grinned. She hadn't really noticed he was gone. She grabbed a slice of the loaded piece and stuck in into her mouth.

"There is something here that I am missing and it is pissing me off," she grumbled to him as she chewed.

He gave her an amused look. What was it about this woman that made his skin jump to alert.

"What type of mutant are you? Besides a telepathic..." he found himself asking. She looked at him in surprise. They were getting personal?

"I'm a pyrotechnic...plasma and such. I'm not a terribly powerful telepath, but what I have works for what I need it for," she shrugged.

"That would explain it," Jack replied.

"Explain what?" Jubilee shot him a puzzled look and gave him her full attention.

"I'm not only telepathic. I'm...well... I don't know what to call it? Clairvoyant, maybe? I feel people abilities. You feel charged. Full of energy. It's very...intoxicating..." Jack murmured as he brushed a stray piece of hair out of her face.

Jubilee gulped as a wave a nervousness washed over her. She felt her face tingle where his hand had been. He must be at least twenty-six and her only eighteen...the age difference...age...ages...different ages...

"Oh, my god," Jubilee pulled back abruptly and grabbed the files and began to put the in an order.

"What is it?" Jack asked as she frantically put the papers together. She looked up at him triumphantly.

"13, 12, 10, 9, 7, 6, 5, 3, 2 and 1...the victims ages go down. We're missing 11, 8, and 4. Those are the ages of the last victims. There are three left. It was so obvious...!" Jubilee voice rose an octave as her brain finally connected the pieces. She started to pace anxiously and then stopped.

"Sacrificial. Age countdowns usually mean sacrifice not serial in St. Bernardo.

What are they doing?" she wondered out loud.

"I'm assuming they are wanting to let loose some type of demon on us. Just which one?" Jack mused.

Jubilee sighed, "We'll be needing to talk to the local magic shops then. See who might know something. Someone is supplying them with all the supplies."

Jack nodded, "Let's go."

Jubilee cocked her head at him. How easily this strange partnership was coming. His eyes met hers and she felt her blood rise in a very arousing way. She clamped down on her erotic thoughts and threw shields up as tight as she could.

"Better start out with the reputed good magic-users around here. I take it you know who?" she asked as they made there way to his vehicle.

"Yea, let's go," he stopped beside a huge bike. Jubilee felt her excitement rise even higher as she slipped behind him and wrapped her arms around his waist. Jack pulled her closer as he rev-ed the engine and shot out of the parking lot.

---------------------------

Logan was in the air and out of Massachusetts's before he raised his voice to the little sneak.

"Come on out, Kiddo."

Dysis stood up abruptly. He smelled her, of course, she felt so stupid. Jubilee would never have made a mistake like that.

"Don't feel bad kid, you can come," Wolverine grinned as she feral cat slipped down beside him in the other bucket seat.

"Names Panther," she growled back at him. He laughed even more abruptly.

"Your defently Jubilee's," he choked out.

"Don't you dare say anything bad about her," the cat hissed.

Wolverine sobered up, "Kid, I wouldn't ever say anything bad about the firecracker, she's got more soul that anyone I remember. You picked a good one for a role model."

"I'm going to be her future partner, she said so," Dysis told him smugly.

"That so," Wolverine's voice rumbled over hers.

"Yea," she shot back.

"I think we could have ya, around. Your kinda funny," he answered.

Dysis was taken aback, but she soon began to hum with pleasure at the praise. Jubilee might be the coolest female super-hero, but Wolverine was definitly the raddest dude.

"So what was it like working with Jubilee in the X-Men?" she asked suddenly.

Wolverine looked over at her and smiled, "A new experience every day."


End file.
